Penn Hills man handed over cocaine during Arnold traffic stop, authorities say

A Penn Hills man pulled over for a minor traffic violation Tuesday in Arnold handed over a baggie of cocaine to agents when he got out of his car, which contained additional drugs and a loaded handgun, authorities said in court documents.

Agents with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office and officers with the Westmoreland County Drug Task Force were conducting operations in the area when they pulled over a car driven by Shawn Leon Rose, 51, in the 1700 block of Third Avenue because it had illegally tinted windows, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

Authorities said they smelled marijuana coming from Rose’s car when they approached it and saw a 9 mm handgun on the floor. When they asked Rose to get out of the car, the complaint said, he handed them a baggie containing 14.6 grams of cocaine — just over half an ounce.

The complaint said a search of the car turned up an additional 18.6 grams of crack cocaine and 9 grams of marijuana. Some of the drugs were packaged in small stamp bags and tested positive for fentanyl, according to his arrest papers.

Authorities said the 9 mm handgun was loaded. Rose does not have a license to carry a firearm and is not allowed to possess one because of past felony convictions.

Rose faces several felony drug and weapons charges in addition to lesser offenses. He is being held without bail in the Westmoreland County jail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 18.